Former Badabher SHO and proclaimed offender fled the country to evade arrest and trial. DESIGN: SAMRA AAMIR

PESHAWAR:

A wanted former policeman has escaped to Afghanistan and joined the country’s police service, according to his former colleagues.

Abdul Qader, a proclaimed offender and former station house officer (SHO) at Badabher police station, was allegedly recruited into the Afghan National Police after he fled to the country in order to evade arrest and trial at home.

Talking to The Express Tribune, his former colleagues at Badabher police station said that an FIR against him was registered in 2011. They said Qader was suspended after a police inspection team raided his residential quarter, adjacent to the police station, and recovered arms, heroin and hashish which he had seized from many raids.

Qader’s colleagues further revealed that around 11 men were also discovered at the police station who had been detained for several days without any FIRs registered against them. They added Qader had detained the men in order to extort money in exchange for their release.

“His conduct was like a kidnapper who would arrest every rich man in his area… he would demand money (for their release) or register an FIR under section 7 of Anti Terrorism Act (ATA),” said one of his colleagues on the condition of anonymity.

“He (also) used to store confiscated arms without registering them on the record,” he added.

The former colleague maintained that after many people disappeared during his short term as an SHO in Badabher, people lodged complaints with senior police officials. Then Operations Senior Superintendent Ijaz Khan acknowledged the complaints and ordered the raid on Qader’s residential quarter.

Meanwhile, another police official told The Express Tribune that “he still calls some of his old friends in the police, telling them that he has joined the local police force in Afghanistan.” The official, who requested anonymity, added that Qader had reportedly been posted somewhere near Jalalabad in Afghanistan.

“Abdul Qader is a skilled and trained policeman, regardless of his love for money and illegal means of acquiring it. He has taken part in several active operations against militants,” he said, adding it was “because of his experience that he was readily recruited by the Afghan police.”